American Citizen Detained Near Damascus Reveals His Identity as Travis Timmerman, Not Austin Tice

An American man recently discovered near Syria’s capital, Damascus, has been identified as Travis Timmerman, not missing US journalist Austin Tice, as was initially reported.

In an interview with Al Arabiya on Thursday, Timmerman clarified that he had traveled to Syria seven months ago on a religious pilgrimage. He explained that he had been imprisoned by the ousted Syrian regime since his arrival, after having entered Syria illegally from Lebanon. Timmerman emphasized that he had no knowledge of Austin Tice’s case, the American journalist who disappeared in Syria in 2012.

Timmerman, a Christian, told Al Arabiya’s correspondent that he had not experienced mistreatment in Syrian prisons, although he could hear the sounds of torture taking place daily.

Meanwhile, Tice’s mother, Debra Tice, revealed last week that US officials had informed her that her son is alive and being treated well in captivity.

Austin Tice, a freelance photojournalist working for various media outlets, was abducted at a Damascus checkpoint on August 14, 2012. Despite a 2012 video showing Tice blindfolded, his captors’ identity remains unknown.

In 2022, President Biden publicly urged the Syrian regime to facilitate Tice’s release, accusing the government of holding him.